Conductor-retrieving device for vacuum cleaners



y 2- 1929- P. s. HYDE ET AL 1,714,225

CONDUCTOR RETRIEVING DEVICE FOR VACUUM CLEANERS Filed Feb. 25, 1925 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEN TOR5 PAR/(E5. H YDE a DA M ON 1? REY/vows 7 W 2 6.34 M J .4 TTORXEYS.

May-2l, 1929. P. s. HYDE ETAL 1,714,

CONDUCTOR RETRIEVING DEVICE FOR VACUUM CLEANERS Filed Feb. 25, 1925 2Sheets-Sheet 2 30 a; '2 /6 32 44 W h V 2 O I a 29 42 2/ DAMo/v PEEYNOLDSA T ORNEYS.

Patented May 21, 1929.

UNITED STATES' PATENT OFFICE.

PARKE S. HYDE. OF LOS ANGELES, AND DAMON P. REYNOLDS, OF PASADENA, GALI-I'ORNIA, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TQ CAR-L I). HYDE, OF TORRANCE,CALIFORNIA.

, CONDUCTOR-RETRIEVING DEVICE FOR VACUUM CLEANERS.

Application filed February 25, 1925. Serial No. 11,558.

Our invention relates to electrically operated vacuum cleaners andparticularly, although not necessarily, to portable vacuum cleaners asused for domestic purposes.

It is a purpose of our invention to provide a device capable of beingincorporated in a vacuum cleaner of any conventional form for retrievingthe electrical conducting cord used in supplying current to the motor ofthe cleaner from a wall plug whereby, the length of the cord can bevaried at will as the cleaner is moved about a room and in such manneras to prevent accumulation of slack cord and the disadvantages attendantthereto.

It is also a purpose of our invention to provide a conductor retrievingdevice of extremely simple, inexpensive and durable construction whichcan be associated with the guiding or operating arm of a vacuumcleanerwithout radical modification of the arm structure and in such relationas to permit the convenient control of the device and the supply ofcurrent to the motor of the cleaner through such device.

We will describe only one form of conductor retrieving device embodyingour invention and will then point out the novel features thereof inclaims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a view showing in perspective one form of conductorretrieving device embodying our invention in applied positionto a vacuumcleaner.

Figure 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the retrievingdevice shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to Figure 2 showing thereel in released positio Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view takenon the line 44 of Figure 3. l

Referring specifically to the drawings in which similar referencecharacters refer to similar parts in each of the views, our invention inits present embodiment is shown associated with the conventional guidingor'operating-arm 15 of a vacuum cleaner, such arm being of tubular formand pivotally as sociated with the body of the cleaner for moving thelatter over the floor. As shown inFigure 2, a casing or housing issecured upon the upper end of the arm 15, and this casing comprises alower section 16 secured to the arm 15 by means of a clamp 17 and anupper section 18 threadedly connected to the lower section and providedwith a handle 19 adapted to be gripped by the operator when manipulatingthe vacuum cleaner. Secured to the lower inner face of the bottomsection 16 is a plate 20 of insulating material, while secured to theupper section 18 is another plate 21 of insulating material. Betweenthese plates a reel formed of insulating material is arranged, the reelcontaining a hub 22 and flanges 23 on the ends of the hub. This reel isfixed by means of a set screw 24 to a shaft 25 formed of conductingmaterial and mounted for rotational and longitudinal movements withinthe plates 20 and 21 and the arm 15.

As clearly shown in Fi re 2, the lower end of the shaft 25 is slida lyand rotatably fitted in a tube 26 of conducting material fixed within aplug 27 of insulating material, the latter being threadedly fitted inthe lower. end of the arm 15. Theupper end of the shaft 25 projectsupwardly from the plate 21 and through a leaf spring 28. Fixed to theshaft above the spring 28 is a collar 29 against which the sprin bearsfor normally urging the shaft upwardly so thatits upper end isyieldingly retained in engagement with an operating plug 30 ofinsulating material slidably mounted in a socket 31 formed in the casingsection 18. The upward or outward movement of the operating plug islimited by means of a flange 32 formed on the inner end of the plug.

A sleeve 33 of insulating material surrounds the shaft 25 to insulatethe latter from a: metallic tubular shaft 34 extending into and fixed tothe hub 22 of the reel. This shaft 34 carries a collar 35 to which thelower end of'a spring 36 is fixed, the upper end of the spring beingsecured in the plate 20. This spring 36 constitutes meansfor'rotatingthe reel to effect winding of electrical conductors thereon,such conductors in the present instance comprising two wires 37 and 38which are extended through a suitable opening formed in the casingsection 16, and in which opening is secured a'collar 39 of insulatingmaterial. As shown in Figure 2, the wires 37 and 38 are secured to andelectrically connected with conducting rings 40 and 41, respectively,secured to the opposite ends of the hub 22, the ring 40 being engaged bya spring contact arm 42 secured to the plate 21 and electricallyconnected to a but ton switch 43by a wire 44. A wire 45 electricallyconnects the switch with the spring 28, and the latter being in contactwith the shaft 25, the shaft serves to conduct current-downwardlythrough the arm 15 to the conducting tube 26. From the tube 26, a wire(not shown) is extended to one brush of the motor as will be understood.The ring 41 is in contact with the metallic shaft 34, and the latter isin sliding contact with a contact arm 46 secured to the inner end of theplug 27 and connected to a wire 47 which extends through the plug forconnection with the other brush of the motor. A second arm 48 is securedto the plug 27 to co-operate with the arm 46 in centering the shaftwithin the arm 15, as will be understood.

In practice, the reel is rotated to wind the conductors or wires 37 and38 upon the hub 22 and in such manner as to place the spring 36 undertension, it being understood that the winding of the spring in thismanner is effected prior to the complete assembling of the device. Thereel is normally held against rotation under the action of the spring 36by virtue of the fact that it is urged upwardly to the position shown inFigure 2 by the spring 28, the spring acting through the shaft 25 so asto maintain the flange 23 in contact with the plate 21 with sufficientpressure to prevent movement of the flange and thereby secure the reelagainst rotation. In this manner the plate 21 functions as a brakingelement.

In the use of the vacuum cleaner, the conductors 37 and 38 are of courseconnected to a plug 49 (Figure 1) the latter being inserted in asuitable wall socket. As the vacuum cleaner is moved about the floor itis of course necessary that the conductors be varied in length, and whenit is desired to increase the length of the conductors, that is to sayto unwind the latter from the reel, the plug 30 is positioned inwardlythereby flexing the spring 28 to permit lowering of the shaft 25 wherebythe reel will gravitate to the re-' leased position shown in Figure 3thus moving flange 23 out of contact with the plate 21.

In this position of the reel, it is free to rotate so that by pullingthe conductors outwardly from the casing they will be unwound from thereel to the extent desired. Immediately following, the plug 30 isreleased thus allowing the spring 28 to return the reel into engagementwith the plate 21 so as to secure the reel against rotation ineitherdirection.

If it is desired to shorten the length of the conductors, in otherwords, to re-wind the latter upon the reel, it is only necessary to movethe reel to the released position shown in Figure 3 whereupon the spring36 will act to rotate the reel in such direction as to re-wind theconductors thereon and thus take up any slack between the reel and theplug 49.

From the previous tracing of the conducting path of the current from thewires 37 and 38 to the motor of the vacuum cleaner, it will be clearthat the switch 43 can be manually operated to control the supply ofcurrent to the motor. Both the switch 43 and the plug 30 are within easyreach of the hand of the operator gripping the handle 19 so that theoperation of the retrieving device and the energizing of the motor canbe controlled without removing the hand from the handle.

Although we have herein shown and described only one form of retrievingdevice embodying our invention, it is to he understood that variouschanges and modifications may be made herein without departing from thespirit of the invention and the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A retrieving device of the character described comprising a reel,means for rotating the reel in one direction to cause winding offlexible conductors thereon, a braking element, means for supporting thereel for bodily movement to engage or disengage the braking element,yieldable means for urging the reel into engagement with the brakingelement, and manually operable means for positively moving the reel outof engagement with the braking element whereby the first means willrespond to rotate the reel.

2. A retrieving device of the character described comprising a brakingelement, a reel, a rotatably and slidably mounted shaft fixed to thereel, a spring associated with the shaft for normally urging the reel toa position in which it engages the braking element to prevent rotationof the reel, a spring associated with the reel for rotating the latterin one direction when the reel is out of engagement with the brakingelement, and a manually operable member engageable with the shaft formoving the latter against the action of said spring to move the reel outof engagement with the braking element.

3. A retrieving devlce of the character described comprising incombination with a tubular arm, a casing secured to the arm, a brakingelement within the casing, a reel within the casing, a plug in the arm,a shaft extending through and fixed to the reel and mounted for rotationand longitudinal movement in the braking element and plug, a collarfixed to the shaft, a spring engaging the collar to normally urge theshaft upwardly and the reel into engagement with the braking element, atubular shaft surrounding the first shaft and fixed to said reel, aspring associated with the tubular shaft for normally urging the tubularshaft and consequently the reel in one direction, said spring capable ofbeing wound upon rotation of the reel in the opposite direction, andmanually operable means for moving the first shaft against the action ofthe first spring to cause said reel to disengage the braking element inorder to allow the latter to respond to the action of the second springand to permit rotation of the reel to place said spring under tension.

4. A retrieving device of the character described comprising a: brakingelement," a reel, a rotatably and slidabl-y mounted shaft fixed to thereel, a collar fixed to the shaft, a spring engaging the collar tonormally urge the shaft and hence the reel to a position wherein 10 thereel has braking engagement with the braking element, a springassociated with the when the reel is out of engagement with the brakingelement, and a manually operable member mounted for sliding movementaxially of the shaft and engaging an end of the shaft, for moving theshaft longitudinally against the action of said spring to move the reelout of engagement wit the braking element.

PARKE S. HYDE. DAMON P. REYNOLDS.

